A Day of Nothing-To-Do

Today, I had nothing to do.

My house was clean, no family functions, and no plans with friends. I was totally free to do whatever I wanted and what I wanted to do was NOTHING.*

One thing I've always enjoyed about a lazy day is the lack of a deadline. It's not a true lazy day if you know in the back of your mind that you have to be showered and ready to go at 5pm to meet up with someone. Kind of kills the lazy buzz, if you catch my drift.

I had no such deadline today. I reclined on my sofa content in the knowledge that I could stay there as long as I liked.

My phone rang at 4pm, Mom's ring tone. I sighed. I knew she'd want to do something together. I had a choice; I could agree to her plans and kill my lazy day or I could politely decline her invitation and continue in my day of nothingness. I chose the second option.

For about 2 minutes. I called her back and said I'd be over as soon as I put on a bra, changed my clothes, and put my hair in a ponytail. Oh, and I warned her that I hadn't showered, had no makeup on, and looked disgraceful. She didn't care. I spent a lovely few hours with her and my beloved Grandma; helping to hang the new window valances, playing cards, and chatting. They left for the play and I came back home, glad I'd chosen to spend time with them after all.

So, why did I chose to go over in the first place? Easy, I was bored. It had been so long since I'd had a day to do nothing - I thought I'd rejoice in it, but I didn't. The inactivity bothered me. Even as I watched tv, I had to be doing something else, even if it was just eating (which is bad on several levels).

I'm a little disgruntled to learn I'm becoming one of those people that can't be lazy or that doesn't enjoy being lazy every so often. Does the ability to be lazy need to be practiced in order to be kept? Kind of like the ability to stay up too late? I haven't totally lost these abilities, I can do both if needed, but I'm losing the enjoyment of them. I'd rather go to bed at a sensible hour (11pm or even 10:30pm), wake up early to exercise (6:30 or 7am), and continue to be active and productive throughout the rest of the day, at least intermittently. You know, an hour of tv followed with a couple hours of cleaning/playing/work/etc. Repeat pattern.

I think I'll live with this new shift, though. In fact, I can see myself becoming quite happy with how things are turning out. There's such a sense of accomplishment when one looks back on the day and knows that fun was had, people were enjoyed, and tasks were removed from the To Do list.

Sigh. I must be growing up...or something. *smile*


* I did make one exception - I had to water my garden plants!

My Weekend

This last weekend, I traveled up north to visit Adam.

And we got engaged.

Just kidding!

We really just decided to start dating again.

Just kidding, again!

No really, several people really struggled to understand why I'd go visit him if we're really just friends - we must be getting back together for me to go just to see him. Well, we are really just friends. Can't a friend go visit another friend? (That's a rhetorical question, I know the answer. It's "yes".)

Anyhoo, I had a great time. Adam's sister, Diana, let me stay with her and her family. I love them! I'm glad Adam and I are still friends so I can see them every so often. (There are other reasons, too, Adam!) His sister is so warm and welcoming and I've liked her from the first moment I met her - 4 years ago. Her husband is a quiet guy, so I didn't really get to know him, but he was really helpful Saturday - I'll explain later. Their kids are adorable. So well-behaved, polite, fun. Their third child, Ashley, was baptized on Saturday, so Adam's parents were also staying with Diana and her family. It was certainly a full house, but a fun full house. Everyone was so nice to me. I never once felt uncomfortable. In fact, I felt a part of the family the whole time I was there. I really appreciated it.

So here's a quick run-down of the weekend's activities, then I'm going to share some interesting moments that happened.

Friday: arrived around 7pm; toured Diana's home and was introduced to Joe and the kids; Adam's parents took him and me out to dinner - cute restaurant, delicious omelet!; played games with Diana, Adam's parents, and Adam's nephew Daniel; Adam and I watched Amelie - it was fantastic!; talked with Adam 'til 3am; went to bed and slept like the dead.

Saturday: was woken up at 8:30 by Addie, Adam's 12-year old niece in whose room I was sleeping, because she had forgotten her dress - she was so cute and polite and we had a nice conversation; woke up because I couldn't get back to sleep and got ready for the baptism; baptism went from 11am to noon - it was pretty standard except for the bizarre opening prayer; ate lunch with Adam at Kneaders - very tasty; Toys R Us for a present for Ashley (neice who was just baptized); tour of Adam's apartment; back to Diana's to change clothes; art museum - found a few paintings I'd actually buy if a) they had been for sale and b) I had the money set aside for such purchases; drove around looking at interesting homes (I LOVE doing that) and the Krishna temple; browsed an antiques shop/bookstore; ate dinner at Diana's; ran to the mall for a thank-you present to give to Diana and family; played games 'til 2am with Diana and their parents (they actually only made it to midnight); went to bed and slept like the dead.

Sunday: tried to wake up early to go for a walk but my body refused; finally got up and got ready then went to breakfast with Adam (who paid, grrr, I mean - thank you!); went back to Diana's and looked at a few of his family pictures; ate lunch with my host family; toured the garden; played games until time to leave; loaded up my car (which took awhile, see #4 below); said my goodbyes; drove home; other stuff unrelated to my trip; went to bed around midnight and slept like the dead.

Now for the interesting moments: (in no particular order)

1. Adam's dad: "So, Julie, when are you coming to Kanab to visit us?" It surprised me, quite frankly, so I stumbled a little bit with my answer - They know that Adam and I aren't dating, so why would they want me to visit them? was all I could think. I take it as a compliment, though. They must like me. I like them, too, and if it wouldn't cause assumptions to be made, would be happy to visit them. It was just funny and a little awkward at the time because it took me by surprise.

2. Adam's mom: "Buy a diamond!" When Adam and I were leaving to go to the mall, his mom shouted this from the dining room. Neither Adam or I heard her say it, but Diana told us about it later. Again, I take it as a compliment. When a mom likes you enough that she wants her son to marry you, that's probably one of the highest compliments you can get. Still funny, though.

3. Diana: "You better watch out, Julie, I think Daniel likes you." Daniel, if you recall from above, is Adam's nephew. His 28-year old nephew, in case you were thinking of some cute liittle 7-year old. This really took me by surprise. I'd only been in the guy's company for a few hours and had had no clues that he had taken a fancy to me. Her evidence was compelling, and funny, so maybe he did develop a little crush. Again, I'm flattered if it's true but am not interested.

4. Me: "I'll take it!" At the antique store, I stumbled across an old (though not antique) secretary hutch. The tag's price was too good to be true, so I assumed it was just for the hutch and not the drawers upon which it sat. I asked Adam if he thought I'd be able to fit both pieces in my car, and he said he thought I'd be able to. I asked the owner about the price, just to be sure, and was told it was for both pieces. Without a moment's hesitation, I said I'd buy it. I bought it, Adam's brother-in-law came in their surburban to take it to their house, then we had lots of fun figuring out how it would fit in my car. It didn't. Not really. With Joe's help, though, on Sunday we rigged it so that I was able to make it home with both pieces intact. Thanks Joe! Now they rest at my mom's house awaiting my brothers return to town this weekend. Then they (my brothers) will pack them up to my 3rd floor condo. My brothers don't know this plan yet, so please don't tell them. Maybe they'd decide not to come down afterall. *smile*

5. Addie: "Can you stay another night?" Adam found out that he didn't have to work today (Monday), so Addie asked if I'd stay longer. I really liked Addie. I liked all the kids, but I liked her the most, so I was touched that she wanted me to stay longer, even though it would've meant giving up her bed another night. It's fun to be liked.

6. Daniel: "I should probably stay here tonight in case Julie and Adam want to go back to our apartment." He said this to Diana. Again, Adam and I didn't hear it, Diana told us later. Don't ask me why he thought I'd go back to their apartment that night (Daniel and Adam share an apartment, in case you're a little slow on the uptake) or what he thought we'd be doing there. It's funny because I'm beginning to think Adam hasn't done good things with my reputation amongst his family. Four years ago, a distant relative of his came up to me at one of Adam's niece's wedding (again, don't picture a 7-year old) and asked if I was still living with Adam. Now this! I either scream "hussy" or he's not painting a flattering picture of me. *smile*

It really was an enjoyable weekend. The best part was getting to hang out with Adam. We do better as friends than we ever did as more-than-friends. In fact, he's become one of my best friends. He knows me better than most, accepts me with all my flaws, and can read me almost as well as my own family. I really love him like a brother-friend.

Thanks, Adam, for inviting me for a visit and for making it such a fun trip!

My Garden

My brothers sometimes tell of the year one of them gave me a cactus for Christmas because all the other plants I'd ever tended had died. Surely, I couldn't kill a cactus.

I did.

Years ago, I had a roommate with a green thumb who decorated our tiny apartment with plants and flowers. She went on a one-week vacation to Hawaii, leaving me with detailed instructions on how to care for the plants and flowers - exactly how much water to give and how often, even singing suggestions!

By the end of the week, they were brown and wilting even though I followed her instructions to a tee.

A couple years ago, my boss's wife brought a plant to the office as an apology for a fight they had. My coworker and I knew we'd be the ones caring for the plant and neither of us were happy about it. She's about as good with plants as myself. So, we neglected it. For months. It sat on the lobby bookshelf becoming progressively uglier and uglier until it was a brown, wilted stalk with shriveled up leaves.

Then someone (probably my boss's wife) put it in my office. My office is in the kitchen (let's just leave it at that) and has a sink, so maybe she had watered the plant and forgot to put it back on the bookshelf. No matter the reason, the plant was in my office and there it stayed. For weeks I tried to ignore it, but I can't just sit there and watch a living thing slowly die, so I started putting a bit of water in it before leaving. Just an evening here, an evening there.

It started to get green. Little shoots started pushing up through the dirt. I knew it needed sunlight, but I worried that if I moved it back to the lobby, I'd neglect it again, so I left it in my office awhile longer. As it got bigger and greener and prettier, I started to feel a sense of pride at having resuscitated it. I finally felt comfortable moving it to the lobby and from there, getting daily doses of sunlight, the plant has really flourished. Even my coworker has gotten into keeping it healthy and will water it when I'm out of the office.

This last experience gave me a little confidence and I finally decided to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. I created a garden!

Even as a kid I didn't garden. My allergies were so bad growing up that time spent outdoors was filled with sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, and lots of complaining. So, while the rest of my family tended the garden, I cleaned the house. Hence, I have no knowledge of gardening.

My sister-in-law went with me to the local plant nursery because I didn't feel confident enough to pick out my own plants. I knew what I wanted, but wasn't sure how to get what I wanted. One thing I knew; I didn't want to grow anything from seeds - I wanted baby plants.

The next evening, I gathered all my supplies on to my beloved patio; plants, pots (one I've had for years thanks to my stepmother who gave me a pot of flowers one year - they died in a couple months and the pot has stood barren ever since), potting soil, Miracle Grow, watering can, scissors, and a spoon (for digging - it was the best I could come up with). I loved the feel of dirt beneath my nails (though afterward I scrubbed them spotless), the smell of earth, the flow of water from my watering can onto the freshly planted plants, and the well-being that came with doing something so...refreshing.

In the big pot, I planted one cherry tomato, one grape tomato, and one yellow sweet pepper. The middle pot contains cilantro (yummy!) and to its right are chives. I would have liked to plant more herbs, maybe parsley, rosemary, and dill, but they didn't have those herbs when we went. Maybe it's better to start off small anyway. I can always get more plants!

Now my beloved patio is even more special, a true bit of heaven-on-earth. I can't wait to start eating tomatoes and peppers from my garden and using fresh herbs picked right from my porch!

Sigh. Life is good.

Did You Know - Part III

... My first boyfriend's name was Jose?
* we "dated" in 1st grade.

...I'm currently reading 4 books?
* Lisey's Story by Stephen King
* The Appeal by John Grisham
* Flashback by Nevada Barr
* Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey

...I think beards can be sexy?
* not the bushy ones, though.

...I'm addicted to the soundtrack of Notre Dame de Paris?
* thanks, Adam

...My current celebrity crush is Charles Kelley?
* singer for Lady Antebellum
* he has a wicked sexy beard
* ok, both guys in the band have beards, but I like him more

...Before him, my celebrity crush was Simon Baker?
* the Mentalist, CBS
* however, doesn't look good with a beard

...Little sleep + no food + heat/broken air conditioner = grumpy Julie?
* this sums up my latest work trip to Lake Powell

...My phone is pink?
* nothing more to add

...I like to go to movies by myself?
* Angels and Demons, June 6th

...Green is my current "it" color?
* it was red

...I talk too much sometimes?
* many of you know this first-hand

...I avoid touching public bathroom door handles like the plague?
* they give me the heebie geebies

...Last night I forgot to eat dinner?
* no wonder I had such strong snack cravings last night!

...I once lost my balance and fell on my bum while watching someone toss a coin?
* cjane, Montreal, 1999

...I pretend heights don't bother me?
* really, I have the urge to jump
* that bothers me

...I walk 4 miles a day?
* sometimes more, if I get in two walks

...I overuse the thumbs up sign?
* woohoo! *thumbs up*

...I once burned my tongue on a fork?
* my brother said I had a forked tongue
* thumbs up*

..."Want" is my least favorite word to sign?
* feels awkward

..."Like" is my favorite?
* it's fun, you should try it

...I'm thinking about getting back together with one of my exes?
* can you guess which one?

...This is the first "Did You Know" that contains no lies?
* thumbs up*

You can find Did You Know Part I here and Part II here.

The Spider and the Fly

Close your eyes.

Picture a playground at an elementary school.

Now picture a huge, wide, gently-sloping, climbing net with the top end attached to the middle of the jungle gym and the other attached to poles and stopping just a few inches from the ground.

Got that?

Now imagine 20 or so giggly girls, about 8 or 9 years old, sitting as close to the top of the net as they can get and looking at the solitary boy, sitting at the bottom of the net, looking up at the girls.

I was one of those giggly girls, though not nearly as giggly or outgoing as I grew to be (I was actually a pretty quiet child, believe it or not). All these years later, I don't know how it started, but we ended up playing a version of the Spider and the Fly. The boy - I don't remember his name but can picture his face as if it had happened yesterday - was the Spider, the girls were the Flies. We'll call him John...because I like it as an alias.

The game boiled down to John choosing which girl he liked the most by eliminating the ones he didn't.

"The girl I like the most has blonde hair", he'd announce, and all the non-blondes had to leave the web. I was a natural blonde, fyi.

"The girl I like the most is not wearing a skirt", and those unfortunate girls with skirts left the web. I wore pants.

"The girl I like the most has freckles." Oh what a great time to have brown spots all over my face!

A few at a time, or sometimes one by one, John narrowed the field, finally leaving just two girls in his web. Unbelievably, I was one of them. Every time he made his declaration, I'd look at what I was wearing, check my hair for braids, color, bangs, etc, and generally make sure I could stay in the web.

I don't remember who was the other final Fly in the web with me, but I remember how we huddled close together at the top of the net...ahem...I mean, web... and nervously giggled while we waited for John's final pronouncement.

Maybe that's what the final two Miss America (or American Idol or ANTM) contestants feel like as they wait to hear who has won. Huh.

I knew I wouldn't be the Chosen One. I was taller than all the girls my age and most of the boys, an awkward situation. And yet, I didn't stick out but tended to settle nicely into the background. Sometimes I wondered if anyone would ever remember me because I was just average, nothing remarkable, not too quiet/smart/funny/troublesome/etc. I had friends but I wasn't one of the girls that boys noticed...I didn't realize at the time that most boys don't notice girls that way at that age.

John either took his time deciding which of us he liked most or he was nervous to finally make his choice irrevocably known to the rest of the grade (by this time, our game had garnered a lot of attention from non-playing girls and boys) but either way, it seemed like an eternity before he finally made his last pick.

"The girl I like the most is wearing a butterfly barrette."

Can you believe that to this day I remember that final sentence? Okay, I can't. All I remember is the shock and pleasure at realizing that I was the girl he liked most. He had chosen me! The loser...I mean, non-winner...whatever...left the web, and John climbed up to where I sat in amazement. We ended up spending the rest of recess sitting on the net together, holding hands, and talking.

Or something like that. I don't really remember what happened afterward. Quite honestly, the most powerful memory I have of this event is the feeling of being liked the most, of being picked from a bevy of cute, nice girls as the most cute and nice. I was the Fly the Spider wanted to catch!

More than 20 years later, this memory still makes me smile. It was the first time I realized that a boy could find me attractive. It boosted my confidence, helped me out of my shell a bit, and well, set the foundation for me becoming a bit of a flirt (reformed, currently).

Whenever I start to get bummed that there doesn't seem to be a Spider who likes me most, I try to remember that Spiders have different tastes and that somewhere out there is a Spider who likes curvy, blue-eyed, freckled, (currently) blonde Flies. 'Til our paths meet, I guess I'll just sit in this comfy web and enjoy the view.

Better Hearing Month

I'm so glad it's Wednesday afternoon - late afternoon - almost time to go home!

May is National Better Hearing Month, and to celebrate, my work had an Open House yesterday and today. We offered free hearing screenings, food, prizes, and a chance to see the inside of your ears. Aren't you sad that you missed it???

The whole thing was my idea, and for the past few weeks I've been busy getting everything organized. I really wanted to give the Open House a shot at success, so I contacted my friend at the radio station and set up a remote broadcast at our office for yesterday afternoon from 11am to 2pm. My boss wasn't thrilled; partly because he hates spending money on marketing and partly because he didn't want to talk on the radio. We got a really good deal on the broadcast, though, and I told him he'd only have to talk once since we had only three times to talk (once an hour) and we'd take turns. We've never advertised on the radio before, so it was definitely a gamble, a risk that I prayed would pay off.

The first time to talk on the radio came and both my boss and coworker were busy, so John*, the DJ, had me go out to the van to talk about what was going on, what we were doing, etc. Frankly, I was nervous. I'd never talked on the radio before and am pretty good at making myself sound foolish - not a good combination! John and I chatted while the last song played and I grilled him about what was going to happen; would he be asking me questions, how long should I make my answers, how would I know when to shut up, etc. He laughed and said I'd do fine.

Did I mention that John was H-O-T? Oh baby.

The song ended and John introduced where he was and asked me my name. I replied, tempted for half a milli-second to lie, I don't know why. See what I mean about my propensity for being silly? He asked me questions about the Open House and our office, and I answered fairly intelligently. I made him laugh a couple times - I couldn't control myself! - but overall I felt really good about how well I did. I was pleased that I'd gotten my turn over with and could relax the rest of the time.

My boss talked next and hated it. He sounded a little funny, frankly. You could tell he was nervous. Poor guy. Teehee.

The third time, my coworker was talking to her son and daughter-in-law, so John pulled me out to talk again. I was sad that my coworker wouldn't get the chance, but she grinned an evil grin that said, Haha, I don't have to do it! I worried about repeating myself, but John said it is good to say things over and over again. This time, I was a little sillier AND I talked a tad too much so we had to hurry to end in time AND we still got cut off at the very end. I apologized but John said it happens a lot. He told me I have a great radio voice and that if I ever want to quit my job I could do well in the radio business. I thanked him, and then floated back to the office - compliments do that to me. Especially from hot guys.

Turns out, we got more than three opportunities to talk on the radio. The fourth time, my coworker ended up getting to do it. She was fabulous! She is the queen of one-liners and sounded like a natural. The last hour, I got to talk two more times, making my grand total a whopping 4 times! I enjoyed it a lot, even though I think I sounded like a doofus, albeit a friendly, cheerful doofus! I'm thrilled that we got to broadcast 6 times instead of just 3 - more bang for our buck. Woohoo!

I felt a little like a celebrity; a small-time celebrity with less than 1 minute of "fame", but a celebrity nonetheless. *smile* Friends and family called and texted to tell me they'd heard me on the radio. When I introduced myself to people coming in for the Open House, they'd smile and say they'd heard me talk on the radio. We had a great turn-out and most of the people said they came because they heard about it on the radio. My boss finally admitted at the end of the day that using the radio had been a good idea afterall. Vindicated.

Okay, let's talk about John. He's married but has only been so for a few months. He dated his now-wife for a few months before that, so before that he was single! A single, attractive, age-appropriate guy had been living in my area for years and I never met him! Tragic, absolutely tragic. How many others like him (except still single) are out there that I'm not meeting? John and I discussed the fact that I'm still single and that he remained single for so long. He said we could have dated and had a lot of fun, though, he said, he's probably "too wild" for me since I'm Mormon. We could have dated!!! Not that we necessarily would have ended up together, but it would have been nice to see, and it was sweet of him to imply that he could have been interested in dating me. And really, the frustration I feel isn't because I "lost my chance with him", because frankly there never was a chance; the true frustration is due to not knowing any guys in my area I could be interested in but suspecting that some might exist and I just don't know it. Does that make sense? Sigh. I asked John where all the single guys over 30 hang out - because it would be helpful to find out - he laughed and said he has no idea. You're a ton of help, I joked. A little insider information could have been very useful.

So, I ask myself, at one point do I stop relying on "timing" and "Fate/Divine Intervention" and start actively trying to meet guys who I'd be interesting in dating? And, how does one go about actively meeting local guys; they don't come into my office (my ex doesn't count), I don't meet them at church, and I don't go to school or to bars. What's a girl to do?

Anyhoo, this post has taken an interesting turn, so I'm going to return to the topic on hand. The Open House was more successful than any of our previous Better Hearing Month ideas and I'm proud of how well we pulled it off. It's such a relief that it's almost over - one more hour - and that there was a steady stream of people when the radio station was here. Seriously, that was my biggest worry - that John would show up and think we were big losers because no one came to our Open House.

It was so successful that we're planning on doing it again next year. A few things we learned this time:

1. I bought too much food. I didn't want to run out, but I could have fed a third-world country with all the stuff I bought.

2. One day is better than two. Not that people haven't shown up today, but not enough to make it necessary to have the open house two days.

3. The radio brought in people. Woohoo!

I wonder if I'll be around next year. I guess we'll see! :)

* Name has been changed because I didn't ask him if I could blog about him. :)

Me, Lately

A Possibility
Last week, our accountant's wife, Holly, asked me if I would be interested in taking on a part-time job. One of their neighbors needs someone to do some simple bookkeeping and asked if she could recommend anyone. Holly thought of me. I was flattered. She said all they need is someone to send out bills once a month and do payroll for 8 employees twice a month. Easy! They'd provide me with a computer and everything I'd need so I could do it out of my house. If this works out, there's no way I'm getting another roommate once Liz moves out! What I'll make from this job would be quite a bit more than what I get in rent. I'd be able to save for my France trip in no time and then start working on some of my other financial goals. Holly said she'll let these people know that I'm be willing to do it. That's where it stands currently, so I don't know yet if it's going to happen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though!

A Change
I highlighted my hair Friday afternoon. It was my reward for losing 75 lbs. Woohoo! When I chose this as a reward, I started thinking about how long it's been since I've gone lighter and realized it's been awhile! Funny, because I used to change my hair color every few months - to fit the season. Anyway, here's me before I had my hair done:











My smile is weird. Oh well.

I had planned on taking a picture with all the tin foil in my hair, but I forgot. Here's the after:











Why is it that I always look high when I take pictures of myself? It's the eyes. They look stoned or something. I wasn't, by the way, it just looks like I was. Anyway, it's fun to have a change, though I'm still getting used to it. I mean, I totally love my new look, but I still think of myself as having darker hair. I forget that my hair is different, so when I see myself in the mirror, I get a little surprise. I like surprises!

A Resurrection
In the above photo (the after shot), please note the dress I'm wearing (what little you can see). My mom bought me that dress as a birthday present in May 2000 - right after I came home from Montreal. Right now, I'm about 20 lbs heavier than when she bought it for me but about 25 lbs lighter than when I last wore it - on my cruise in August 2003. It was tight then; I couldn't even wear the matching jacket, I wore a white sweater instead. When I got home from the cruise, I banished the dress to the farthest part of my closet and vowed not to wear it until I had lost some weight. A couple years later, I removed it from my closet and almost donated it to the thrift store because I still couldn't wear it. It was in almost perfect condition, though, so I stuffed it in a box and have held on to it for that reason ever since. I recently found it while doing some Spring cleaning, and yesterday I decided to try it on since I didn't have anything I wanted to wear for Easter. It fit perfectly! I almost cried.

A Compliment
Will I ever get tired of guys being amazed that I drive Bertha and the Beast? This morning, I picked the trailer up from the repair shop (the leaky ceiling has been fixed!), and the guys that work at the shop gathered around to show me all they'd done. When it was time for me to head out, they all said how impressed they are that I can handle such a big truck and trailer. One guy even did the "We're not worthy" bow a few times. It was pretty funny. A little while later, while at a truck stop to gas up, a trucker man asked, "Baby, you drive that big 'ol monsta?" When I said yes, he patted me on the shoulder and said it's a beautiful thing to see a woman driving a big truck.

I know that I should be a little insulted on behalf of my sex because men are SO astonished that a woman can do this, but really, I'm tickled. Probably because I'm still pretty surprised that I can do it and that I love doing it. It's a little strange to think that last April I practiced driving (usually backing up) every morning, Monday through Saturday, all month long. It took me forever to understand how to drive that truck and trailer - it certainly didn't come naturally! So, I'll happily accept the compliments that guys give me for being able to do it.